12 Essential Facts for Understanding the Current Israel-Gaza Violence
The links in the text give more information and sources; additional information and sources are in reports on this site and at IfAmericansKnew.org.
Click on each fact to reveal supporting details.
- ‣Israel and Gaza are not separate countries. Gaza is a small territory mostly surrounded by Israel and whose borders Israel controls (directly or in the case of one crossing, indirectly).
- ‣Gaza is often called an “open-air prison” — for good reason.
- ‣Muslim, Christian, and Jewish Palestinian Arabs peacefully shared the land before Israel was created in 1948.
- ‣Israel was founded in 1948 by forcing non-Jewish Palestinians off the land.
- ‣Israel has been taking over more Palestinian land ever since…
- ‣The two “sides” are not evenly matched.
- ‣Palestinians are killed at massively higher rates than Israelis, and this has always been true.
- ‣Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank have often tried nonviolent resistance.
- ‣Numerous respected organizations have documented Israel’s systemic human rights abuses and violations of international law.
- ‣Israel relies on funding and diplomatic cover from the U.S. and other states.
- ‣On October 7, 2023 up to 1,000 Palestinians broke out of Gaza, took hostages, and attacked Israeli soldiers and civilians near Gaza.
- ‣Israel immediately began indiscriminately shelling Gaza, killing and maiming men, women, and children of all ages.
